ABSTRACT
Transcranial Doppler (TCD) ultrasonography is a non-invasive ultrasound technique that uses high-frequency sound waves to measure blood flow velocities in the cerebral vasculature. This review analyzes TCD research in the Caribbean region using a bibliometric analysis of 29 articles from PubMed. The articles were analyzed using Microsoft Excel 2016 and the VOSviewer software (Van Eck and Waltman, Leiden University, Centre for Science and Technology Studies (CWTS), www.vosviewer.com) and characterized various aspects of TCD research, including countries, research themes, authorship, journals, affiliations, and keywords. The majority of the 29 publications came from Cuba (38%), followed by the French West Indies (22%) and Jamaica (20%). Most TCD research focused on sickle cell disease (SCD), accounting for 45% of the studies, followed by 21% of articles on vasospasm and subarachnoid hemorrhage. The use of TCD in brain death and neuro-intensive care was also explored, constituting 17% of the studies. Alternative TCD-monitored treatment options for SCD, such as stem cell transplantation and hydroxyurea, were also frequently investigated. The most productive institutions were Hospital Clínico-Quirúrgico Hermanos Ameijeiras in Havana, Cuba, the Sickle Cell Unit at the University of West Indies (UWI) Mona in Jamaica, the Medical-Surgical Research Center (CIMEQ) in Havana, Cuba, and the SCD Reference Center in Guadeloupe and Martinique in the French West Indies. TCD has been identified as a cost-effective tool for real-time monitoring of cerebral blood flow in many clinical settings, including stroke and SCD, which are prevalent in the Caribbean. Although there is an increase in the trend of using TCD for neuromonitoring in the Caribbean, gaps still exist. Capacity-building initiatives, such as training programs for healthcare providers and the development of local TCD research networks, can improve access to TCD in resource-constrained settings to treat and neuromonitor patients cost-effectively.
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a global crisis and has affected the Caribbean islands, leading to significant health and socioeconomic consequences in this region. Efforts to mitigate the burden of this disease have led to an accelerated amount of research in the English-speaking Caribbean (ESC). This bibliometric analysis aimed to evaluate the COVID-19-related scientific literature from the ESC nations. A total of 175 articles were included and analyzed from an initial PubMed search (n = 638) for COVID-19-related scientific literature from the ESC nations published between January 1, 2020, and June 30, 2022. Microsoft Excel 2016 (Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, Washington) and the VOSviewer (version 1.6.18) were used to characterize countries, authorship, journals, affiliations, and keywords of the COVID-19-related articles. Trinidad and Tobago (38%), Jamaica (22%), Barbados (20%), and Grenada (15%) contributed to the greatest number of publications. The University of the West Indies (UWI) campuses in Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and Barbados, and St. George's University in Grenada were the most prolific institutions. Srikanth Umakanthan from the UWI was the most prolific author. Cureus, SN Comprehensive Clinical Medicine, and Frontiers in Public Health were the first three most productive journals; 59% of the 175 articles had either the first or last author affiliated with an institution in the ESC, and 19% of the articles were country-focused: Trinidad and Tobago (16/175), Jamaica (9/175), Barbados (5/175), and Antigua and Barbuda (2/175). Among the top themes of research, 27% were outbreak response and rearrangements, epidemiological studies (23%), clinical management (23%), and medical education (13%). Over the last two years, an interest stimulated by the pandemic has expanded the research in ESC countries. However, gaps in the knowledge exist, especially in the epidemiology of COVID-19 complications in the sub-populations of chronic non-communicable diseases, post-COVID syndrome, and the long-COVID syndrome in the region. Hence, there is enormous scope for more research across the region.